Buoyant bathing and swim suit



S. DAVYSO March 6, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 une 10, 1958 ENTOR. 842a? ATTORA/ZY United States Patent Oflice 3,923,433 Patented Mar. 6, 1962 signor of sixty-five percent to Solomon Brown, New York, N.Y.

Filed June 10, 1958, Ser. No. 741,164 1 Claim. (Cl. 9-336) This invention relates to the art of bathing suits and particularly concerns a buoyant bathing suit.

A principal object of the invention is the provision of a comparatively simple, eflicient, and durable bathing suit that is very buoyant when worn by a person while swimming or sporting in a body of water, and adapted to serve as a life preserver.

A further object is the provision of an efficient bathing suit in which new types of floaters or buoyant units are employed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel construction for a buoyant unit which is flexible and light in weight and substantially non-sinkable.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the bathing suit embodying the invention as worn by a person.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the bathing suit in spread out condition.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational veiw of the thigh covering portion of the bathing suit, parts being broken away.

FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of the front torso covering portion of the bathing suit.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a bathing suit 10 embodying the invention worn upon the body B of a person. The bathing suit is formed of an upper torso section 11 and a bottom thigh section 12. The torso section 11 is composed of a front body portion 14 for covering the chest of the wearer and a rear body portion 15 for covering the back of the wearer.

The front and rear body portions are of substantially similar constructions and each body portion comprises a generally rectangular-shaped body 16. The body consists of outer layers 17, 17 of fabric material, each outer layer having a lining 18 of plastic or rubberized material. The fabric layers and linings are secured together along the margins thereof by a line of stitching 20, and at the center thereof by a line of stitching 21, and intermediate the center and side margins by lines of stitching 22. The stitchings 21 and 22 extend from end to end of the body and with the marginal stitching form elongated tubular portions 24. The central tubular portions 24 are wider than the remaining tubular portions. The elongated tubular portions 24 are tightly stuffed with a filling 23 of silk hair, or silk floss. This gives the body portion a padded or quilted effect.

The stufling material 23 is preferably of silk hair or silk floss as this material has an extremely light weight consistency and has superior resiliency so that it resists knotting or bunching under long repeated impact or long continued pressure. In addition, the material is especially long lived. it does not become brittle and has a natural oily body which resists absorption of moisture. It will be understood that in place of the silk hair or silk floss any other suitable buoyant or non-sinkable material such as cork or fibrous material may be used.

The linings 18 are preferably made of polyethylene or vinyl plastic material which is substantially non-porous and resistant to the chemical action of salt and sea water.

The outer layers 17 are preferably made of resin-impregnated cotton or linen canvas to resist the eflects of sun, Wind, water and abrasion during use.

The front and rear torso body portions 14 and 15 are permanently fastened together in side-by-side relationship as shown in FIG. 2 by fabric tapes or straps 25 secured at the ends thereof to the top and bottom ends of adjacent sides of said portions by the stitching 20, the tapes or straps being of sufficient length to span the side of the torso of the wearer. The top and bottom end edges of the body portions 14 and 15 comprise a plurality of tapered extensions, the lower extensions 35 extending to below the waist of the wearer. The opposite sides of the body portions 14 and 15 may be detachably secured to each other when the suit is being worn by fabric tapes or straps 26 and 27, extending from the top and bottom ends of said sides of the body portions 14 and 15, respectively, the tapes or straps on the side of one body portion carrying buckles 28, such as the straps 26, 27 on the side of the body portion 14.

The top end edges of the body portions 14 and 15 are also detachably secured to each other, when the suit is being worn, by fabric shoulder tapes or straps 2 9 and 30, respectively, extending from the top end edges thereof. The tapes or straps on one body portion, for instance, the straps 29 on body portion 14 are longer than the tapes 39 of the other body portion, while the tapes or straps 30 on body portion 15 are provided with buckles 32 to detachably secure the ends of the tapes or straps 29 and 30.

Fabric tapes or straps 34 secured at one end to extensions 35 on the bottom end edge of each of the body portions 14 and 15 carry buckles 36 for detachably fastening the thigh section 11 presently to be described.

The thigh section 12 of the bathing suit is detachable from the torso section 11 and consists of two pairs of buoyant body portions, each pair consisting of a front body portion 40 and a rear body portion 41. The buoyant body portions of each pair are secured together by fabric tapes or straps 43 secured at their ends to adjacent side edges of the buoyant body portions at the top and bottom ends thereof, forming a unitary structure. The tapes or straps 43 are of suflicient length to span the side of the thigh of the wearer when the suit is being worn. One buoyant body portion of each pair, for instance, the front body portion 40, is provided with straps 44, 44, extending laterally from the top and bottom ends of its unattached side edge. The other body portion, for instance, the rear buoyant body portion 41 of each pair is provided with similar laterally extending straps 45, 45. The straps 45, 45, however, carry buckles 46, 46 for detachably fastening the ends of the straps 44, 44, 45, 45 together when the suit is being worn.

The buoyant body portions 40 and 41 are each of similar construction and each is of a construction similar to the construction of the body portions 14 and 15 of the torso section 11, but of different configuration and of different dimensions, having straight side edges 53 and tapered ends 54 and being smaller in length and width. Each buoyant body portion 40 and 41 consists of outer layers 55, 55 of fabric material similar to the layers 17, 17. Each layer 55 has a lining 56 of plastic or rubberized material. The fabric layers and linings are secured together along the margins thereof by a line of stitching 57. Spaced lines of stitching 58 extending from end to end of the body portion and passing through the layers and linings divide the body portion into a number of elongated tubular portions 59. Filling material 60 similar to the filling material 23 is stuffed into the tubular portions thereby giving the body portion a padded or quilted eifect.

When the bathing suit is worn on the body of a person as shown in FIG. 1, the straps 29, 29 are engaged in buckles .32, .32 carried by straps 30, 30 so that the straps overlay the shoulders of the wearer. The straps 26, 27 are engaged in buckles 28 carried by straps 26, 27 so that the front and rear body portions 14 and 15, respectively, are secured around the torso of the wearer. The straps 3.4,. 42 extend down along the thighs of the wearer and when the straps 44, 44 are engaged in buckles 46, 46 carried by straps 45, 45, the front and rear float members 40 and 41 are secured around the thighs of the wearer. The fabric straps and buckle constructions permit the suit to be fitted to the wearer. The suit fits snugly and leaves the arms and legs of the wearer unrestricted, for swimming and other sporting activities. If desired, the strap and buckle fastening devices may be replaced with snap fastener devices.

The bathing suit is to be worn over a conventional bathing suit S indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 1. Thus, a person may wear a conventional bathing suit while on a beach and can put on the buoyant suit 10 with or without the thigh buoyant body portions 40 and 41 before going into the water. The torso body portions 14 and 15 and the thigh buoyant body portions 40 and 41 constitute floating devices which supplement the buoyant effect on the body of the wearer and aid in keeping the body of the wearer afloat on the Water.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent ism A buoyant sectional bathing suit, comprising a torso section having front and rear body portions for fitting over the chest and back of a wearer, said portions being sufiiciently long to extend from the wearers shoulders to extensions below the waist of the wearer, a plurality of tapered extensions at upper and lower edges of said front and rear body portions, straps on adjacent lateral edges of the body portions securing the body portions together, further straps on other lateral edges of the body portions and on the tapered extensions at the upper edges for detachably securing the body portions to the wearer, a thigh section having front and rear leg portions for fitting in front of and behind legs of the wearer, straps detachably securing upper edges of the legs portions to the tapered extensions at the lower edges of the body portions, other straps on adjacent lateral edges of the front and rear leg portions securing the same together, and still other straps on lateral edges of the leg portions for detachably securing the same to legs of the vwearer, said body and leg portions each including joined outer layers of fabric material, a lining of flexible, moistureproof plastic material between the outer layers, said lining and layers being stitched together to define a plurality of parallel closed compartments, and a filling of fibrous material in each of the compartments, each of the body and leg portions having a corrugated form at opposite sides thereof, rendering said portions flexible to conform to the shape of the wearers body.

References-Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES APCO, Catalog No. 56, February .25, 1957. relied on.)

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